Iran vaunts military, exults at U.S. ‘dismay’ as revolution turns 40

DUBAI (Reuters) – Hundreds of thousands of Iranians marched and some burned U.S. flags on Monday to mark the 40th anniversary of the triumph of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Shi’ite cleric who toppled the Shah in an Islamic Revolution that rattles the West to this day.

On Feb 11, 1979, Iran’s army declared its neutrality, paving the way for the collapse of the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the United States’ closest ally in the Middle East.

State TV showed large crowds defying frigid weather and carrying Iranian flags while chanting “Death to Israel, Death to America,” trademark chants of the revolution which ousted the United States’ most important ally in the Middle East.

One banner read: “Much to the dismay of America, the revolution has reached its 40th year.”

The large turnout in state-sponsored rallies came as Iranians face rising prices, food shortages and high inflation that have triggered waves of protests.

U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers last year and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran, dealing a blow to the country’s economy. Iranian officials said the move amounted to “economic warfare”

In a speech at Tehran’s Azadi (Freedom) square, President Hassan Rouhani dismissed U.S. efforts to isolate Iran, saying U.S. sanctions could not break the Islamic Republic.